Floor-scraping device



Jan, 116, 1923, 11,442,544

A. SCHWENKE. FLOOR ScRAPms DEVICE. FILED JUNE 21 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I Envani'or:

Jan. 16 1923. 115442 544 A SCHWENKE. FLOOR SCRAPING DEVICE. FILED JUNE21. 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 lm/enmr:

Jan. 16, 1923.,

A. SCHWENKE.

FLOOR SCRAF'ING DEVICE.

Flu'zp JUNE 21, 1920.

3 sHEErs-SHEET 3 Patented r.lan. l6, i923.

are

ALBERT SCHWENKE,

i a e nr rr tartan.

BERLIN, GERMANY.

FLOOR-SCRAPING DEVICE.

Application filed June 21,

To all 10 71-0922. it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT ScHwnNKn, acitizen oi the German Republic, residing at Berlin, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor-Scraping Devices(for which I have filed applications in Germany, Nov. 17, 1917, and Dec.24, 1919), of which'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a portable scrap ing device of the kind knownper se for parquetry and other flooring, in the case of which there arearranged Itwo scrapers, adapted to operate in opposite directions andfixed to angularly shaped levers pivotally lodged in the frame of thedevice.

Now in these known kinds of scraping ap paratus, the scrapers aresecured in the posi tion assumed for the time being by spring action.However, this has proved to be disadvantageous for the reason that whenthe scrapers are disposed in the manner indicated it will be impossibleto obtain a perfectly smooth scraping surface.

The essential feature of my invention resides primarily in so arrangingthe bent levers supporting the scrapers that these latter may be rigidlyadjusted at various angles relatively to the frame, while howeverretaining the advantage that the operation of setting the scrapers atthe incline desired may be G'lliBCiBd quickly and readily.

The main features of the aforesaid arrangement oi? the bent leversreside inv the fact of these two levers being connected by means of aturnbuckle, and of each of these levers being furthermore suspended tothe top plate of the frame by aid of a screw bolt adapted to be set inthe longitudinal direction. t thus follows that, by suitably adjustingthe length of said bolts, as also by correspondingly setting theturnbuckle, the scrapers may be set at such an angle relatively to thevertical that they will no longer be able to present any resiliency ineither direction. Again, whereas in the known type of floor scrapingdevices having two scrapers, the transmission of the power about to beexerted on the scrapers is effected by the very same spring meansserving to set 1920. Sci-m1 No. 390,592.

said scrapers at the angle desired, it will not be necessary, in thecase of a floor'scraping device in accordance with my invention, inorder to transmit the power produced by the handles to employ specialbent levers fixed to said handles and connected to the scraper carriers.lvloreover, in order to be able to directly transfer the power on to thescrapers so that these will be actually forced against and moved alongthe floor with a force acting jerk-wise, it will prove necessary thatthe power transmission levers be directly connected to the grip plates,screwed to the carrier levers, in such wise that they will be enabled toengage said plates slightly above the floor.

In the case of power transmission levers of this construction, it willprove expedient to interconnect springs between said transmission leversand the handles for the purpose of balancing the working into play.

For the purpose of limiting the extent of the tension, there is arrangedin the longitudinal direction of the device in accordance with thisinvention, in front of each scraper a stop roller adapted to be raised,counter to the action of a spring, for an adjustable extent relativelyto the member supporting it, and which after having been raised bears upagainst an adjustable stop.

An embodiment of the subject matter of this invention is shown by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings, the form oi execution chosen beingthat oi an apparatus adapted to be moved by hand. However, the devicemight also be moved with equal efi'ect either by means of anelectromotor or a compressed air motor, in which case the attendantswould merely be required to force the scrapers against the floor and togovern the movements of the apparatus.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section Fig. 2 a plan, and.

' Fig. 3 an elevation of the device.

In the scraping device disclosed in the drawings, which is intended tobe operated by two persons, there are pivotally lodged at the two endsof the top plate a. ot' the frame, two handles into the upper extremityof each of which there is screwed a T-shaped handrip c. The frame of thedevice is supported on two wheels (Z, and is provided with bent leversf, disposed to rotate on pivots c, serving carriers for the scrapersEach of the bent levers f is provided with two depending extensions 1,to the extremities of which there are lined tapped members i, of whichtwo are always interconnected by means of a turnluiclde 1'. To each ofsaid bent levers but at a distance fairly remote from the center, thereare in addition arranged two screw boltsl extending through Oval openingan. 'i' ormcijl. in the top plate a, and having nuts 1:, by the settingof which the space between plate a, and bent levers may be suitably ad.-justed whereby said levers are caused to be oscillated around the pivotsc. It is ohvioru-a that when setting the bent levers the tapped members1 will likewis have to be correspondingly shortened or respectively,extended by means of the turnlmcliles 7;. in. Fig. 1 there is shown indotted line the position into which the levers f may be displacedrelatively to that shown in fulllincs. The difiercnt incline at whichthe scrapers must be set relatively to the vertical, depends of courseupon the hardness ofthe flooring to be scraped. In the place of a checknut, the screw bolts Z are proflded with coil springs 0 which, when thenuts a are screwed upwards, will automatically force the bent levers fdownwards.

In true correspondence with the setting of nuts a and of the turnbucklesZ1, the scrapers g are set at the respective incline so as to beincapable of any movement, since a rotation of the bent levers f in theupward direction is rigidly prevented by the turnbuckle 7c, and in thedownward direction by nuts 91. The outer faces of levers f are obliquelydi rected toward the central axis of the floor scraping device, with theresult that likewise the scrapers r fixed to the bent levers f by thegrip plates 7) will come to be disposed atan angle relatively to thecenter line of the scraping device, as shown in particular in Fig. 2.The grip plates p are connected to the bent levers f by means of screws.The said plates are provided close to their lower edges with screws 9serving for the attachment of two bent levers 1, each of whichcommunicates with one of the handles 6. 1ntermediate the extrei'nity ofeach of said levers 7" and handle I) there is interconnected anaggregation of compression spring means each of which is composed of twosprings s. The said aggregation comprises two cross pieces t and u, theupper to of which may be fixed to the handle I) at different heightsthereof by means'of a perforation anda setting screw o. Intermediate thetwo cross pieces t and u, there are arranged screw bolts 3 adapted to bead usted in their long1tu dinal direction by means of wing nuts m, andaround which bolts the compression springs a are disposed. The bores 14forming passages in the upper cross piece it for the screw bolts 0 areoval in shape in order to enable the screw bolts :e to assume a certainobliquity relatively to the cross piece 14, such as will be requiredwhen the handles 7) along with their hand grips are to be set atdifferent heights. The springs s serve to balance the working pressureproduced by the handles and transmitted on to the scrapers. On thelevers 1" there are fixed at a certain distance remote from the scrapersmembers 1 supported on rolls. l Vithin said member 1, the spindle 3 of aroller 4 is shiftably disposed, a spring 2 serving to keep said spindledown. This spindle is moreover provided with two cross pins by aid ofwhich it projects through slots formed in the memher 1. By these-means,the lowermost position of the roller 4 is limited by the stops formedbypins 5, as shown in Fig. 1. A nut G is screwed on to the member 1 in amanner permitting shift in an altitudinal direction; the lower face ofthis nut thus servingto restrict the upward movement of the roller lrelatively tothe member 1.

It follows that. as soon as working pressure is exerted upon thescrapers a, the roller 1 within the Supporting member 1 will primarilybe forced upwards countertothe action of spring 2, and this until thecross pins 5 have come to abut against the nut 6. By this abutment therewill thus at the same time be limited the degree at which the scrapersa. are pressed against the flooring, and therewith also the thickness ofthe chip severed ofl. Hence, by displacing the nut 6, the thickness ofthe chips may be variously adjusted. The cutting edges 7 of the scrapersare curved, as disclosed in Figs. 2- and 3, so that th'escrapers willonly enter into actionwiththeir central portions whereby any possibilityof the lateral portions of the scrapers catching, in particular in thecase of uneven or sloping floor surfaces, isprcvented.

Owing to the inclined position assumed by the scrapers a relatively tothe center line of the device, on this latter being guided or movedalong a perpendicular plane with regard to, say, the inlays of an inlaidflooring, the scrapers will come to be applied to the fibres diagonally,thereby preventing the liability of the wood splitting. Vhat is more, bythus arranging the scrapers at an incline, the possibility is given ofremoving the chips along the sides of the apparatus.

The hand grip c at the extremity of each handle Z) consists of a:central portion and two gripping members 8 fixed, say by screws,thereto. Each of said members 8 may be screwed ofi' separately, so thaton one of these handles being removed, the apparatus may be moveddirectly alongside of a Washboard, with the result that by means of thisimproved device every section of the flooring, including the outermostedges thereof, may be operated upon.

The device shown may also in so far be modified in that only one handleis provided, so that only one person will be required to work it.

I claim:

1. In a portable floor scraper in combination, a pair of wheels and awheel axle, a frame horizontally mounted above said axle and a handle'attached to said frame on either side of said axle, a bent lever oneither side of and pivoted near said axle, a scraping tool on the freeend of each lever and means for adjusting each lever and for rigidlyfixing it in position relatively to said frame.

2. In a portable floor scraper in 'combina tion, a pair of wheels and awheel axle, a frame horizontally mounted above said axle and a handleattached to said frame on either side of said axle, a bent lever oneither side of and pivoted near said axle, a scraping tool on the freeend of each lever, a lug depending from each lever, a turnbuckleconnecting said lugs and a screw bolt on each lever extending throughsaid frame and serving together with said turnbuckle to adjust andrigidly [ix said lever in position relatively to said frame.

3. In a portable floor scraper in combination, a pair of wheels and awheel axle, a frame horizontally mounted above said axle and a handleattached to said frame on either side of said axle, a bent lever oneither side of and pivoted near said axle, a scraping tool on the freeend of each lever, means for adjusting each lever and for rigidly fixingit in position relatively to said frame, a link pivoted to each leverand operatively connected with a handle and a spring inserted betweensaid link and said handle.

4. In a portable floor scraper in combination, a pair of wheels and awheel axle, a frame horizontally mounted above said axle and a handleattached to said frame on either side of said axle, a bent lever oneither side of and pivoted near said axle, a scraping tool on the freeend of each lever, means for adjusting each lever and for rigidly fixingit in position relatively to said frame, a resilient stop connected witheach vent lever so as to limit its downward movement and adjustablemeans for varying the length of said stop.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALBERT SCHlVENKE.

